The ‘Victorian Sustainability Accord’ is a commitment from a diverse group of organisations to promote and facilitate open dialogue, collaboration, mutual exchange and respect to achieve greater resource efficiency and ecological sustainability in business and industry.

Signing the historic accord today were:

• Hon Steve Bracks MP, Premier of Victoria
• Mr Richard Pratt AC, Chairman of Visy
• Mr Neil Coulson, Chief Executive Officer, Victorian Employers’ Chamber of Commerce and Industry
• Mr Mick Bourke, Chairman, EPA Victoria
• Rt Hon John So, Lord Mayor of Melbourne
• Mr Geoff Gardiner, General Manager Service Sustainability, City West Water
• Mr Geoff Mabbett, Chief Executive, Sustainability Victoria
• Mr Laurie Gleeson, Chief Executive, Goulburn Valley Water
• Prof Richard Larkins AO, Vice Chancellor, Monash University
• Mr Peter Buzzard, Chairman, Sustainable Melbourne Fund.

The Sustainability Accord is a formal agreement between the government, academic and private sector to work together under the Grow Me The Money program.
Grow Me The Money, an initiative of VECCI and EPA Victoria, is a voluntary program for Victorian businesses, aimed at helping the environment and the bottom line of all participating businesses. It was officially launched in July and is being piloted in the Melbourne CBD, the western suburbs and the Goulburn Valley.

EPA Victoria Chairman Mick Bourke said that the 10 foundation members of the Sustainability Accord, have come together voluntarily — a measure of their commitment to contributing to better environmental and financial results in Victoria.

“We should not underestimate the significance of this Accord and the organizations who have signed today — and who now throw out the challenge to other Victorian businesses to sign up.

“We are talking multi-million dollar businesses and government organisations, who are putting their signatures to an agreement which will move Victoria forward to better resource efficiency, leading to lower operating costs and improved environmental outcomes”.

In practical terms the Accord will:

Share information and experience to assist in aligning business growth with improved environmental and social outcomes;

• Assist small and medium size businesses to become more resource efficient through mentoring and marketing support from the Grow Me The Money program;
• Benchmark best practice sustainability and efficiency standards across Government and industry and;
• Seek to use cooperation and incentive to drive improved sustainability rather than rely only on regulations.

VECCI Chief Executive Officer Neil Coulson has welcomed the contribution of Visy to the Grow Me The Money program. “From the outset of this program’s development, Visy has been a key partner, contributing intellectual property, industry experience and leadership. As the foundation signatory began to form around the Victorian Sustainability Accord, the Pratt Family kindly volunteered to host the launch of the Accord at Raheen,” Mr Coulson said.

Referring to Grow Me The Money program, Mr Coulson added: “It is not every day you see VECCI and EPA Victoria come together on a major program, but we both are committed to the notion of encouraging businesses to understand that being ‘environmental’ actually has some clear dollar benefits for their business too.”

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Released by: The PR Exchange Pty Ltd
Media Contact: Sue Davies — 0419 434 398
GROW ME THE MONEY BACKGROUND

Grow Me The Money has been gaining significant momentum in each of the pilot sites over the past three months. The CBD pilot kicked off in early September with the launch of the Reduce, Reuse and Recycle (R,R&R) Challenge. Offices and businesses in the CBD have been “challenged” to join this competition and reduce, reuse and recycle more of their paper and cardboard (call 1800 309 650 or email: enquiries@growmethemoney.com.au for more information).

The pilot in the western metropolitan region is to be officially launched on Wednesday the 27th of September where not only the commitment of each of the six western councils will be acknowledged but the industrial sites for a communal recycling project will be announced.
The Goulburn Valley pilot is also generating considerable local energy. The reference group includes several local businesses in addition to key council staff, the regional waste management group, EPA Victoria, Goulburn Valley Water and VicRoads. This pilot is set to be launched in February 2007.
So far the Grow Me The Money program has engaged with over 70 Victorian businesses via preliminary registrations on the website, participation in events and workshops and involvement in local reference groups for each pilot region. This number will quickly multiply as the work in the pilot sites get into full swing over October and November 2006 and when the complete website is unveiled to all of Victoria in early 2007.

For all media enquiries, please contact:
VECCI Strategic Communications
Ph:      (03) 8662 5226
email: media@vecci.org.au